Luchador wrestlers such as El Angel de la Muerte (above) take pride in their colorful masks. Some design their own. (Photo by Luz Garcia Cubillos)
Editor’s Note: The wrestlers agreed to interviews as long as they could be identified by their wrestling names.
By Luz Garcia Cubillos
Everyone has a passion, that inner motivation that, sometimes, makes people wake up in the morning, or embark on the wildest odysseys.
That is what drives “Los Luchadores Independientes,” a group of Latino pro wrestlers who transform themselves with colorful masks and outfits, and train into all hours of the night to pursue their dream of performing for a few hours in the ring.
When the night falls in Chicago, 17 Mexican wrestlers leave their lives and jobs and adopt secret identities to participate in Lucha Libre wrestling. They meet for training Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. or 10 p.m., or on Sunday mornings.
